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Local circumstances of the solar eclipse of August 21, 2017

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Explanatory notes

During a solar eclipse, contacts are the times at which the edge of the Sun’s disk and that of the Moon seem to touch. These contacts therefore define key moments during the progress of the eclipse as viewed from a given location. Contacts 1 and 4 (designated C1 and C4) indicate the beginning and end, respectively, of the partial phases — and consequently of the eclipse itself from that location. Where the situation arises, contacts 2 and 3 (designated C2 and C3) indicate the beginning and end of totality or annularity, whichever applies; if contacts 2 and 3 are omitted, we only have a partial eclipse, as there is no totality or annularity visible from that location.

In the following tables, all contact times are expressed in local daylight time (or standard time where applicable). The time of maximum eclipse (MAX) at that location is also indicated.

Also given are the magnitude and obscuration at the time of maximum eclipse, two measures of the importance of the phenomenon as seen from a given location. The magnitude represents the fraction of the diameter of the Sun’s disk covered by the Moon (during a total eclipse, this figure may exceed 1.0.) The obscuration is the fraction (expressed as a percentage) of the surface area of the Sun’s disk that is covered by the Moon; during totality, this figure reaches a maximum value of 100%.